Tate Modern | Tate Tate Modern International modern and contemporary art Opening times Discover the artist who changed American art forever Tate Modern Exhibition Elton John’s unrivalled modernist photography collection comes to Tate Modern Tate Modern Exhibition The Turbine Hall is transformed into an immersive experience, challenging your perception of time and space FREE Discover how artists working between the 1960s and the 1990s opened up new spaces for participation Tate Modern Display Artists around the world have examined the modern city in a range of works Tate Modern Display See works that create a dialogue with the materials and spaces of everyday buildings Tate Modern Display Feel the impact of Bourgeois’s intense psychological insight through the artworks in this display Tate Modern Display This display introduces you to some of the best-loved artworks in the Tate collection Tate Modern Display Explore artworks from Tate's collection that respond to their social and political context Tate Modern Display Discover artists from Tate's collection who have embraced new and unusual materials and methods Tate Modern Display Experience live art, performance, film and video art in these gallery spaces Tate Modern Display See how artists in Tate’s collection have responded to the impact of mass media Tate Modern Display Investigate the processes artists use to make artworks, and how our responses are integral to the piece Tate Modern Display Every

 Thu until 30 Mar 2017 Join us to explore what the museum of the future will look like Tate Modern Film Join us for this special iteration of the late Tony Conrad’s hypnotic audio-visual performance Tate Modern Performance 16 Feb 2017, 16 Feb 2017 See a one-off performance of text and music during a private view of Robert Rauschenberg Tate Modern Film Eat and drink while enjoying panoramic views of London’s skyline Venue Serving a family friendly menu of British classics with stunning views Venue Discover a range of artist books and specially selected products including designer collaborations, jewellery and prints Venue Serving bespoke drinks and hot meals all day and into the night Venue Peruse an unrivalled range of art books, magazines, prints, design objects and art materials Venue Pause, relax and enjoy a coffee, tea, cold drink or snack Venue Enjoy drinks, fresh sandwiches and light meals with a seasonal focus, from breakfast to dinner Venue Discover our very own blend of chocolate made in-house at Tate Modern Venue Enjoy a room with a view at Tate Modern in our critically-acclaimed Members room Venue Dine, relax and meet with friends whilst enjoying our highest panoramic views across London Venue Serving Tate Coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks

 In Tate Modern See performances and interactive art and video installations; these galleries celebrate new art Venue Visit this vast, iconic space for large-scale sculpture and site-specific installation art Venue Behold awe-inspiring 360ᵒ views of the London skyline, from high above the River Thames Plan Your Visit Explore the story of art, from 1900 to the present day You Might Like See in the new year right, with some inspiration from our collection Tate Etc.

Scroll through our Pinterest board and see the many transformations of this space Tate Modern Performance Explore our visual article, packed with archival images, video and handwritten texts Admission information Entry details Admission to Tate Modern is free, except for special exhibitions . Become a Tate Member or a Patron and get free entry to all special exhibitions. Visitors with a disability pay a concessionary rate, and carers’ entrance is free. Under 12s go free (up to four per parent or guardian) and family tickets are available (two adults and two children 12–18 years) – see individual exhibitions for more information. Contact Us Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 Information 09.00–18.00, daily; Membership and ticketing services 9.45–18.00, daily Opening times Sunday to Thursday 10.00–18.00 Friday to Saturday 10.00–22.00 Last admission and ticket sales for special exhibitions Sunday – Thursday is at 17.15 and 21.15 on Friday – Saturday. Ticket desks close at this time.

We are closed 24–26 December, but open as usual on all other days of the year, including Bank Holidays and New Year’s Day. Southwark (Jubilee Line, 600 metres approx Blackfriars: District and Circle Line, 800 metres approx St Paul’s: Central Line, 1,100 metres approx. BY BUS Routes 45, 63 and 100 stop on Blackfriars Bridge Road Routes RV1 and 381 stop on Southwark Street Route 344 stops on Southwark Bridge Road BY TRAIN Blackfriars 300 metres from the South exit; 800 metres from the North exit. London Bridge 1,100 metres approx. BY BOAT The Tate Boat runs every forty minutes along the Thames between Tate Britain and Tate Modern . Other river services run between Millbank Pier and Bankside Pier. BY BIKE Cycle Hire Docking Stations are located on New Globe Street and Southwark Street. BY TAXI A drop off / pick up point is situated on Holland Street, just outside the main entrance. BY CAR There are no parking facilities at Tate Modern or in the surrounding streets.

Public transport is the easiest way of getting to the gallery. BY COACH A drop off / pick up point is situated on Southwark Street, a short walk from the main entrance. Accessibility There are five entrances to the gallery. Turbine Hall entrance on Holland Street There is a ramp into level 0 of the gallery A flight of steps with a handrail runs alongside the length of the ramp From here, there is escalator, lift and stair access to all levels River entrance on Queen’s Walks The river entrance is situated either side of the chimney base.

It provides access directly to level 1 From here there are lifts and staircase to all floors in the Boiler House Switch House entrance on Sumner Street The entrance is located on the south side of the building and it provides access directly to Level 1 From here there are lifts to Level 0 and access to the Boiler House via Level 1 Bridge There is an additional entrance on the south side of the building on Sumner Street with direct access to the Bar and Terrace shop From here there are lifts to all levels in the Switch House The two parts of the Tate Modern building: Boiler House and Switch House are connected on Level 0 through Turbine Hall, Level 1 Bridge and Level 4 Bridge Terrace entrance There is an additional entrance on the south side of the building on Sumner Street with direct access to the Bar and Terrace shop From here there are lifts to all levels in the Switch House Additional entrance to the Café There is an additional entrance to the Café on Level 1 next to the Turbine Hall entrance on Holland Street Boiler House and Switch House The two parts of the Tate Modern building: Boiler House and Switch House are connected on Level 0 through Turbine Hall, Level 1 Bridge and Level 4 Bridge Wheelchairs, prams and buggies Entry

 for wheelchairs, prams and buggies is via the River entrance, Café entrance or Switch House entrance Accessible car parking Parking spaces for disabled visitors to Tate Modern There are twelve parking spaces for disabled visitors to Tate Modern, located on south side of the building, accessed via Park Street at the eastern end of the building.

These spaces must be booked ahead. To book: Email ticketing@tate.org.uk (please note your name, contact details, date and time of visit are required to make the booking) Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (daily 09.45–18.00) Once you have parked, please enter via the Switch House entrance across the level terrace, approximately 30 – 65 meters from the parking spaces. This entrance offers two lifts on the right as you enter, which go to level 0. If you have booked a scooter, wheelchair, or walker, these can also be collected from the Switch House entrance. Drop off points Back to menu Wheelchair and mobility scooter provision Ten wheelchairs and two electric scooters are available at the gallery. To reserve one, please book at least 24 hours in advance. You must have driven a mobility scooter before if you would like to use one at Tate Modern.

To book: • Email ticketing@tate.org.uk (please note your name, contact details, date and time of visit are required to make the booking) • Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (daily 09.45–18.00) Concessionary admission and carers entry for special exhibitions Admission to Tate Modern is free, but there is a charge for special exhibitions. Visitors with a disability pay a concessionary rate, and a companion/carers entrance is free. Details are available on each special exhibition page . Blind and visually impaired visitors Guide and hearing dogs We welcome guide dogs and hearing dogs in the gallery. A drinking bowl is available at the cloakroom on level 1 – just ask a member of staff. Large print captions and exhibition guides Large print captions are available at all special exhibitions at Tate Modern. Please ask at the Information desk. Audioguide The Tate Modern audioguide talks you through a selection of the most iconic works in the collection displays, including international paintings and sculptures spanning a century.

Each work is thoroughly described as the narrator draws your attention to each feature of the painting, sculpture or installation Description is followed by information about the artist and the context in which the work was made The tour allows you to choose your own route through the gallery and explore the collection independently You can pick up the audioguide from the Multimedia desk on level 1 and level 2. Audio described tours Audio described tours at Tate Modern guide visually impaired visitors through the ideas, materials and techniques of art since 1900. Visual description Find out whether an event at Tate Modern has visual description in the What’s on pages . Supported by the Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation Deaf and hearing impaired visitors Hearing loops The following areas of Tate Modern are fitted with a hearing loop: Information desks Auditorium Hearing loops are also available on most gallery tours Find out whether an event at Tate Modern has a hearing loop in the What’s on pages . BSL talks A range of gallery talks, tours and events at Tate Modern are organised in or interpreted into BSL Find out whether an event at Tate Modern offers BSL interpretation in the Events at Tate Modern in the What’s on pages .

Signing Art training programme Signing Art was a training programme for Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users interested in developing the skills needed to become gallery guides. The programme included sessions on; research skills for art, professionalism, and how to best present to a Deaf audience in a gallery setting. These three sessions have been replicated as videos here in BSL or with BSL translation throughout as a reference for those interested in learning more. Signing Art is supported by the Skills Funding Agency Back to menu Community groups Tate Modern offers events and workshops for a wide range of community groups. Attendees currently include mental health service users, homeless people, adults with learning difficulties and ESOL refugee groups. Back to menu Touch Tours Touch tours at Tate Modern introduce visually impaired visitors to the thematic arrangement of the displays. The tours engage with the ideas, materials and techniques of modern and contemporary art. Tours typically include a sculpture that can be explored through direct handling, and a number of other two and three-dimensional works which are explored using a combination of raised images, handling objects, description and discussion. There are four tours to choose from. Each one is based in a single suite of Tate Modern.

The content of the tours changes as the displays change; the following descriptions are a guide to what you can expect from each tour. Deafblind tours We can now offer bespoke touch tours to deafblind visitors. Book a touch tour Tours can be given at any time during normal gallery opening hours We ask that visitors book at least a week in advance, although it may be possible to arrange tours at shorter notice To book call +44 (0)20 7401 5113 To discuss arrangements for a tour call +44 (0)20 7401 5114 Tate Audio is sponsored by Bloomberg The Clore Information Room is supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation Facilities at Tate Modern Information desks Information desks are located near the River entrance, in the Turbine Hall and in the Clore Welcome Room on Level 0. Staff are happy to help with any questions you have. Toilets Fully accessible toilets are located on every floor.

On level 0 there is also a Changing Places toilet, which offers: Plenty of room for carers Full room coverage electric hoist equipment Height adjustable changing bench Height adjustable wash hand basin Non-slip floor Seating Baby changing facilities The Baby Care Room is found on level 0. Additional nappy-changing facilities are available in the toilets on each floor. Lifts There are four lifts in the Boiler House part of the building and eight in the Switch House, situated by the main stairs on each floor. There are also two lifts between levels 0 and 1 linking Switch House entrance and the Tickets and Information desks in the Turbine Hall. Cloakroom The cloakroom is on level 0. You may be requested to leave briefcases, bags, sticks or umbrellas in the cloakroom. Large bags and rucksacks must be placed in the cloakroom. Buggies can also be stored there, subject to space availability. There are plenty of self service lockers in the Tanks lobby on Level 0. Seating Stools are available in the galleries. They can be picked up from the concourses on levels 2, 3 and 4. Just ask a member of staff or at the Information desks if you would like to use them.

Benches can be found in a number of Tate Modern galleries. Additional seating is provided in the Turbine Hall and concourses. Restaurant, Café and Espresso Bar The Kitchen and Bar on level 6, Boiler House and the Restaurant on level 9, Switch House has waiter service. Café on level 1, Boiler House, Bar on level 1, Switch House and the Espresso Bars on level 2, Switch House and on level 3, Boiler House are all self-service but staff are happy to help if you need assistance. Tate Modern shops There are four shops at Tate Modern: the Terrace shop on level 1, Switch House the Turbine Hall shop on level 0, Boiler House the River Shop on level 1, Boiler House the Exhibition Shop on level 3, Boiler House Telephones Card and cash pay phones are situated on levels 0 and 1, under the staircase.

Water fountains HERZOG & DE MEURON Competition 1994-1995, project 1995-1997, realization 1998-2000 Herzog & de Meuron - Eleven stations at Tate Modern The following text was prepared for the occasion of the Opening Exhibition at Tate Modern: Herzog & de Meuron – 11 Stations at Tate Modern, curated by Theodora Vischer, in collaboration with Käthe Walser at Tate Modern, Turbine Hall, London, UK from 12 May to 26 November 2000. North entrance concourse The north entrance is a space that is more than simply a zone of passage. Its sloping ceiling stretches out between two mighty architectural elements: the brick tower on one side and the turbine hall on the other. The glass shaft of the escalator is a body of light that suffuses floor and ceiling; it is akin to the light beam on the roof of the museum and the bay windows in the turbine hall. The properties of this area, so close to one of the Tate Modern’s main entrances, make it an ideal and multipurpose exhibition space that is the perfect complement to the other galleries.

It has therefore logically become the base camp of our exhibition. Ordinarily, in exhibitions of architecture, the buildings themselves are absent and therefore communicated by proxy in models, plans, films and other documents. This time the building in question is present and can be fully experienced in all its sensuality. Instead of plans and documents, the building itself is on view. The exhibition is designed as a stroll in and around the building with fourteen stations and one base camp. Here in the base camp, a large architectural model of the Tate Modern, a projection and statements by the architects introduce the project and place it within the framework of Herzog & de Meuron’s oeuvre as a whole. The stations in and around the building are located in places that typify a specific characteristic or feature of the architecture. Statements It is exciting for us to deal with existing structures because the attendant constraints demand a very different kind of creative energy. In the future this will be an increasingly important issue in European cities. You cannot always start from scratch. We think this is the challenge of the Tate Modern as a hybrid of tradition, Art Deco and super modernism: it is a contemporary building, a building for everybody, a building of the 21st century.

And when you don’t start from scratch, you need specific architectural strategies that are not primarily motivated by taste or stylistic preferences. Such preferences tend to exclude rather than include something. Our strategy was to accept the physical power of Bankside’s massive mountain-like brick building and to even enhance it rather than breaking it or trying to diminish it. This is a kind of Aikido strategy where you use your enemy’s energy for your own purposes. Instead of fighting it you take all the energy and shape it in an unexpected and new way. The ramp The ramp is one of the main architectural modifications involved in converting this industrial building, once closed to the public, into a museum that daily attracts thousands of visitors. Already outside the building the ramp begins to descend into the ground so that visitors immediately recognize it as the west-side entrance. The ramp is not only an entrance but a prominent meeting point, like the tower to the north and the gate to the south, which will be opened to the public in a later building phase.

The location acts as a meeting point due to an architectural strategy which does not treat the gigantic complex, originally built by Giles Gilbert Scott, as a closed shell, but has instead transformed it into a landscape with different topographies that visitors can approach and use from all four directions. The ramp, as one of these topographies, takes visitors down to the base level of the building, the floor of the turbine hall, situated below the water level of the Thames. The turbine hall is the area that establishes the link between inside and outside. The hall runs like a street through the entire length and height of the building. The new façade of the museum rises to the left, revealing its interior structure at a single glance: entrance, shop, cafeteria, educational facilities, auditorium, concourses and exhibition spaces. The façade on the other side is not see-through at present; the rooms behind them will be made accessible in a later building phase. Hidden spaces The power station, as designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was organized in three parallel spaces, each of which served a specific function. The boiler house was installed to the north facing the Thames, the huge turbines were placed in the middle, and the switch house lay to the south.

The latter still contains switching stations today, which have been supplied with electricity produced outside London since 1982, when the power station was decommissioned. In a later building phase, the switch house will also be incorporated in the new museum complex. The window affords a view of the room under the transformers, which is presently in disuse. Probably the most dramatic spatial composition in the former power station lies directly behind this room. It consists of three cylindrical spaces, arranged like a three-leaf clover, which once housed the oil tanks. This spatial composition will one day be accessed directly from the garden opposite to the south. The ground-level rooms, now containing the transformers, will be directly related to the gardens. These rooms and the floors above them could, for example, house a Department of Design and Architecture, a library or other exhibition spaces and seminar rooms. Upon completion of the second building phase, the turbine hall will reveal its full potential as a covered street. The soft hum of the ventilation, now required to cool the transformers, will then be eliminated. The platform The platform is a remnant of the flooring that once stretched the entire length of the turbine hall.

The removal of this flooring allows visitors to experience the extraordinary scale and dimensions of the turbine hall in their entirety. Today the platform is like a bridge between the former boiler house to the north, containing the galleries, and the switch house to the south, which will be converted into additional exhibition space in a second building phase. The platform is conceived not only as a bridge between two wings of the building but also as an instrument that explicitly and effectively addresses the urban surroundings. The promenade along the Thames moves straight into the centre of the Tate Modern through the north entrance. From there, the path will cross the platform, pass through the gate to the switch house, and lead to the new Tate Garden to the south and on to Southwark. This makes the platform an important crossroads not only for the building itself but for the entire neighborhood as well. The platform is a piece of urban topography and therefore also a suitable meeting point, like the ramp to the west of the turbine hall. The Turbine Hall From the platform, visitors look out over the vast space of the turbine hall.

Like a covered plaza or galleria, it is open to everyone – to people who have come in order to visit the galleries or to take a look at the semi-annual installations created by artists specifically for this space or to simply share in the lively atmosphere. The façade of the actual museum rises on the north side of the turbine hall. The new museum occupies the site of what was once an open-work steel structure with no floors or ceilings, in which countless boilers and other machines were installed. This steel structure has been replaced by the new, seven-storey museum. Its façade, adjoining the turbine hall, looks to visitors like a gigantic screen showing the Tate Modern’s varied programmed of events and exhibitions. The bay windows, elongated glass bodies of light, afford an interior view of the museum and its exhibition activities. The bay windows are also architectural bodies that break up the mighty, vertical steel supports of the façade and generate an optical instability. Depending on lighting conditions, the brightly illuminated glass bodies may seem to be suspended in front of the façade, thereby clearly toning down the monumentality of the industrial architecture.

The bay windows belong to the same architectural family as the light beam placed atop the heavy brick body of the former power station and visible from afar. The stairway The stairway connecting all seven stories of the museum tract functionally complements the other two vertical transport systems: the lifts and the escalators. However, it plays an entirely different role as well. The heavy steel construction with its flush, wooden handrail, its continuous band of light and its distinctively compact proportions adapted to human movement represents an independent piece of architecture. The balcony-like landings offer visitors surprising, unanticipated vistas and spatial impressions between the storeis. While travelling the stairs, one feels disengaged from the stream of museum-goers, the rhythm of one’s steps changes and slows down in response to the height of the treads and the placement of the landings. The bay windows The bay windows are self-contained, architectural spaces with more intimate proportions and a different scale than the adjacent concourses or galleries. They provide moments of rest and contemplation or merely a place to stop between gallery visits. They are also convenient meeting places as well as offering breathtaking views of the people and works of art in the turbine hall.

Seen from the turbine hall, the bay windows look like floating bodies of light and also like vitrines with people sitting on benches, relaxing, waiting for someone or about to move on to the next exhibition. The bay windows belong to the same architectural family as the light beam placed outside atop the heavy brick body of the former power station: a landmark visible from afar. Galleries In gallery design there are two extremes: there is the highly specific gallery, which usually tends to be too spectacular, too sculptural, too individualistic, and there is the supermarket, developed to give good orientation and an overview that puts everything in the same light. We have tried to take the best things from both poles: from the supermarket and from a highly specific venue, like the Soane Museum. Dimensions and scale There are three floors of exhibition spaces, none of which is privileged. There is no main level with large, high rooms for monumental works, and a different storey for smaller formats, like photographs or drawings.

All of the spaces are at least five meters high and some are significantly higher, like the top-lit galleries on the fifth floor and the double-height gallery on level 3, which raises the entire 12-metre length of the former cathedral window in Scott’s brick shell. This vertical room with its dramatic dimensions is not only an exciting experience for tired visitors; it also offers undreamt and unprecedented installation potential in a museum context. The spatial variety is considerable; almost all of the rooms are different in size and proportion. In addition, walls can be added or removed at certain places, allowing dimensions and scale to be tailored to the needs of special installations. The construction of these temporary walls is no different from that of the other walls. Lighting Lighting is a decisive factor in the perception of art works. Slightly different in every room, it alternates between daylight, artificial illumination and a mixture of both. The artificial illumination comes from glass panels set flush with the ceiling; potential variations in adjusting the coloring and intensity are almost unlimited. This necessitates considerable machinery and technical facilities concealed above the plaster ceiling. Visible are only the light, the space and, above all, the works of art on display.

The natural illumination reveals the seasons of the year and the daily weather: sunshine, passing clouds or rain. The fenestration is defined by the immense cathedral windows, placed by Scott in the brick shell. The layout of floors and walls has been designed to establish direct contact between the gigantic windows and the galleries in order to provide an optimally self-evident, direct link between interior and exterior. In the rooms where the light comes in laterally through these wall-height windows, visitors can look out on the London backdrop and also get their bearings in relation to the building. There are no lateral windows on level 5 since the floor lies above the cathedral windows. Daylight falls directly from above through glass panels placed flush with the plaster ceiling. They are almost identical to the glass panels for artificial lighting in the two floors below, so that visitors will barely notice the difference at first glance. In the large and high central galleries on level 5, the walls end at the top in broad strips of glass so that the rooms are flooded with daylight. The light enters the exhibition spaces through the glass front of the light beam that can be seen from afar, hovering on top of the Tate Modern.

Inside, visitors sense what the light is like outside as it comes in through the luminous opaque bands of glass without interfering with the perception of the works of art. Design Although the galleries vary in size and proportion, they are basically uniform. They are all plain, rectangular rooms – ordinary and self-evident, on one hand, and yet of spectacular impact, on the other. The astonishing views of London are, of course, spectacular. But spectacular and unusual are also the radical simplicity and directness of the architectural measures that produce the impression of self-evidence. There are no connecting joints between walls and floors or floors and ceiling. The ceilings are flat and unarticulated. The oak floors are unfinished and add an unexpected sensuality to the rooms, while the dark concrete floor on level 5 forms an unaccustomed contrast with the works of art, especially those of classical Modernism. The cast-iron grids for ventilation, set into the flooring, look as if they were part of the former power station. As a whole, one has the impression that the exhibitions spaces have always been there, like the brick façades, the chimney or the turbine hall. This impression is, of course, deceptive.

In the interior of the building everything has been re-invented and re-conceived but the new and old building components have been interrelated and attuned to each other in such a way that they are indistinguishable. Something new has emerged that is more exciting than the pure preservation of a given structure and more complex than a completely new building. The chimney The chimney performed an important function in the former power plant since all the flues from the boilers were gathered into it. The load-bearing structure of the chimney, centered on the boiler house side of the power station, is separate from the rest of the building. In a second building phase, the chimney will be converted into an observation tower with two staircases and two lifts. At a height of 93metres, it will afford a breathtaking view of all London. Looking at the chimney from outside, one realizes that technical and functional requirements do not entirely explain its architecture. The chimney was primarily designed as an urban landmark that transcends exclusively functional purposes and enters into a dialogue with St. Paul’s on the opposite shore of the Thames. The vertical symmetry of the chimney is a direct response to the central dome of the cathedral. The concourses The concourses on the exhibition floors are an important source of orientation.

They provide views of the turbine hall through the bay windows; they house the vertical transport systems, the stairs and lifts; and they provide access to the individual galleries. In keeping with their function, they are clearly set off from the galleries and designed as open spaces. The ventilation system, concealed above the plaster ceilings in the exhibitions spaces, is visible in the concourses, as if the ceiling had receded to open up the view overhead. Although the concourses are almost identical in size, they each have a character of their own. The concourse on the third floor hovers directly above the platform in the turbine hall. On the fourth floor, the concourse yields to the track for the crane, and on the fifth floor, part of the concourse ducks under the mighty steel beams of the turbine hall. The sweeping steps, which follow the rhythm of the ceiling, are an inviting place to stop and rest. The clerestory The view into the clerestory is a backstage view of the lighting facilities on the fifth level. The galleries on this floor lie above Scott’s huge cathedral windows so that daylight can be supplied only from above, via the light beam. Conservation and the different needs of individual works of art call for maximum precision in lighting control.

For this reason the glazing in the clerestory must satisfy certain requirements. It must be translucent to prevent direct sunlight and shadows, but without unduly reducing the intensity or distorting the color of the daylight. Two sets of blinds are installed between the panes of glass: one to adjust the intensity of the light, the other to darken the galleries completely. The clerestory also provides artificial illumination; the lighting elements which have been installed are designed to duplicate the coloring of daylight. The light beam From the very beginning, when we first started thinking about the project during the competition in 1994, we entertained the idea of a huge body of light hovering above the heavy brick structure of the former power station. This body of light was to pour daylight into the galleries on the top floor of the museum and, at night, the direction of the artificial illumination would be reversed and magically shine into the London skies. The idea of the light beam proved to be a key element for the development of the other parts of the complex within the overall architectural and urban concept of the Tate Modern.

In terms of city planning, the conspicuously horizontal shape of the light beam forms a distinctive equipoise to the vertical thrust of the brick tower, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott as a counterpoint to St. Paul’s Cathedral just across the river. Scott’s intention of explicitly responding to Christopher Wren’s building has been accentuated and updated by the luminous beam of light. Like the cathedral, Bankside has now become a public site accessible to all of the people in this city. Landscape Given the architectural strategy of transforming the Bankside Power Station into a landscape accessible and open to the public from all four directions, the gardens are important topographical sites that mediate between the space of the city and the building. The gardens blur the distinction between inside and outside. Thus the ramp on the west side is a salient feature of both the gardens in the West court as well as the turbine hall. The plaza that spreads out between the riverside promenade and the chimney extends into the turbine hall where it becomes the platform. Bankside gardens (north) The spacious Bankside Gardens are divided into three areas. A plaza is centered in front of the north entrance to the Tate Modern and framed by stands of birch trees.

To the west the arboretum, a lawn dotted with groups of foreign birch trees, offers a site of rest and repose. The garden on the east side of the plaza, with its smaller groups of birches, forms the transition to the domestic scale of the adjoining buildings. The gravel, used throughout as the ground covering, has been chosen to match the color of the brick façade of the building. Like different aggregate states, it may be loose, bonded, or rolled into the asphalt. The soft surface texture of the gravel links the plaza with the lawns and, at the same time, suggests an extension of the riverbank. The groves of domestic birch trees resemble the wooded growth along riverbanks. But birches are also pioneer trees that thrive on fallow urban and industrial lands and therefore symbolize the transformation of abandoned terrain. The groups of foreign birches planted on the lawns challenge the accustomed image of this tree with their bark of different colors - snow white, salmon, grey or black. West court The landscaping of the West Court mediates between the expansive, open area of the Bankside Gardens and the framed spaces of the South Terraces. The visitors' ramp leading into the turbine hall is placed in the centre.

To the north, in front of the restaurant, outdoor seating on a stepped slope is marked by evenly planted groups of birches. The arrangement of these multi-stem trees is related to the groups of birches in the Bankside Gardens, while the single-stem birches to the south of the ramp reflect the single plantings in the South Terraces. South terraces In contrast to the Bankside Gardens, which respond specifically to the expansiveness of the river, the South Terraces are divided into two clearly defined gardens surrounded by hedges. The introspective, contemplative character of these spaces invites visitors to rest or play. The hedges, consisting of coniferous yew trees, white flowering quince and white apple blossom shrubs, blossom at different times thereby are mirroring the seasons of the year. Old and new maples, linden trees and plane trees along the southern border along with the topographical design of the lawns heighten the spatial effect of the gardens. Thousands of yellow and white daffodils bloom on the lawns in spring. They are planted in squares, but this geometry will fade in years to come.

Herzog & de Meuron, 2000 Help the Aged: innovative adaptive reuse in architecture Help the Aged: innovative adaptive reuse in architecture Help the Aged: innovative adaptive reuse in architecture Text by Alyn Griffiths London, United Kingdom 'Waste not, want not' is an expression that has become increasingly pertinent in recent years as economic conditions have forced many of us to tighten our belts and make the most of what we have, rather than constantly replacing old with new. This attitude of thrift extends to architecture in the form of adaptive reuse – the conversion of an old building into something better suited to contemporary requirements. Here, we examine some recently completed, ongoing and future projects that show how imagination and intelligent design can deliver striking transformative effects.

Derelict or abandoned buildings often have a great deal to offer in terms of location and character and should be viewed as opportunities rather than eyesores; Dovecote Studio, post-renovation, photo: Haworth Tompkins Derelict or abandoned buildings often have a great deal to offer in terms of location and character and should be viewed as opportunities rather than eyesores; Dovecote Studio, post-renovation, photo: Haworth Tompkins × There are few more wasteful processes than tearing down an existing building and replacing it with something entirely new. Although this, as some might argue, egregious misuse of energy and raw materials still occurs on a regular basis, adaptive reuse has become a popular alternative to demolishing the derelict and disused structures that sit on prime real estate in cities, suburbs and countryside locations around the world. These buildings often represent a faded memory of more settled or prosperous times, and, while not all have outstanding historic or aesthetic credentials, they often make up for it through a character that comes from age and use. Their replacement with modern constructions can remove any legacy and connection with the surroundings, something that intelligent reuse can retain.

Although renovation can be costly, it is often cheaper than demolition and reconstruction, and it offers the possibility of securing a premium location by choosing to redevelop a building that is protected by a conservation order and sensitively adapting it. The Elbphilharmonie by Swiss practice Herzog & de Meuron under construction in Hamburg’s harbour area; photo: Oliver Heissner The Elbphilharmonie by Swiss practice Herzog & de Meuron under construction in Hamburg’s harbour area; photo: Oliver Heissner × There is currently a proliferation of properties ideally suited to adaptation situated in former industrial areas, places which have become redundant as manufacturing has been relocated. These factories, warehouses and docks are often perfect for alternative uses as they are robustly built and grand in scale. As the process of urban sprawl encourages developers to look further from city centres for affordable land, these former temples to industry are taking on new roles as locations for culture, business and urban living. The Swiss-based practice of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron has pioneered adaptive reuse for more than a decade.

The completion of Tate Modern in London in 2000 – a conversion of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s Bankside Power Station on the banks of the River Thames – revolutionised the way in which people viewed the conservation of iconic landmarks and showed that the functionality of a building could be completely overhauled. They performed the same feat with the CaixaForum in Madrid (opened in 2008) and are currently adapting a disused warehouse in Hamburg into a world-leading concert hall and cultural venue that looks set to have an equally transformative effect on its location, both visually and in terms of socioeconomic revitalisation. Wave-like hatches in the glass façade of Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie facilitate natural ventilation; photo: Oliver Heissner Wave-like hatches in the glass façade of Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie facilitate natural ventilation; photo: Oliver Heissner × The Elbphilharmonie epitomises the aesthetic approach of many contemporary adaptations; the old building juxtaposing starkly against a new addition in a contrasting material.

In this case, the red brick warehouse built by Werner Kallmorgen in 1963 acts as a foundation for the new glass extension, emphasizing the relationship between the city’s industrial past and its cultural regeneration. The futuristic construction will house a state-of-the-art concert hall, a hotel, a public plaza 37 metres above the river and 45 apartments, whilst the warehouse will contain parking spaces. Adapting a building to suit contemporary needs requires an intelligent and sensitive approach to issues and restrictions determined by the dimensions, condition and materials of the existing structure. It is essential to understand what it is possible to save and what needs to be overhauled to ensure the structure is secure and the resultant building will meet modern standards for safety, accessibility, and sustainability. Often the most innovative solutions occur when an architect attempts to renew a building whilst retaining the original footprint and as many features as possible. In this scenario it is necessary to either fit something inside the existing walls or create new space on top of what is already there.

Adding an extra storey on top of the existing structure enabled NHDRO Architects to maximise the potential of this location in Shanghai; photo: © Pedro Pegenaute Adding an extra storey on top of the existing structure enabled NHDRO Architects to maximise the potential of this location in Shanghai; photo: © Pedro Pegenaute × In the South Bund district of Shanghai is a former Japanese army headquarters that has been converted into a boutique hotel by Chinese architecture practice NHDRO. Modern windows replace those from the original concrete building and a fourth storey has been added. This radically contrasting structure made from Cor-Ten steel follows the curved façade of the 1930s building. The extension provides space for additional rooms and incorporates a roof terrace with views towards the Huangpu River.

The Cor-Ten steel structure references the ships that pass along the nearby river; architecture: NHDRO, photo: Derryck Menere The Cor-Ten steel structure references the ships that pass along the nearby river; architecture: NHDRO, photo: Derryck Menere × Building upwards has the obvious advantage of offering improved views; in this case, of the Pudong skyline from the new roof terrace; architecture: NHDRO, photo: Derryck Menere Building upwards has the obvious advantage of offering improved views; in this case, of the Pudong skyline from the new roof terrace; architecture: NHDRO, photo: Derryck Menere × The decision to add to rather than remove the original structure helps to anchor the hotel in its location, whilst the juxtaposition of concrete and steel reflects the mélange of architectural styles that defines this constantly evolving city. Inside, the impact of time and use on the plaster and brickwork has been turned into a feature that gives great character to the spaces.

The hotel’s interiors confidently combine the peeling plaster and exposed brickwork of the original building with smoothly finished contemporary details; architecture: NHDRO, photo: © Pedro Pegenaute The hotel’s interiors confidently combine the peeling plaster and exposed brickwork of the original building with smoothly finished contemporary details; architecture: NHDRO, photo: © Pedro Pegenaute × Where a building has largely retained its structural integrity, the changes needed to alter or enhance its functionality may be relatively minimal. London-based architects Haworth Tompkins recently completed the conversion of a former factory building into a series of painting studios for students at the Royal College of Art. The existing brick building was retained, but its original pitched roof was replaced by a suitably industrial looking saw-toothed steel structure. The angle of the ridges significantly increases the ceiling height and provides north light to the studios, which is ideal for painting.

Haworth Tompkins Architects has transformed a former factory into 'a new machine for painting'; photo: Philip Vile Haworth Tompkins Architects has transformed a former factory into 'a new machine for painting'; photo: Philip Vile × An independent steel structure has been inserted on top of the existing brick factory building to create several double-height (7 metres) studio spaces; architecture: Haworth Tompkins Architects, photo: Philip Vile An independent steel structure has been inserted on top of the existing brick factory building to create several double-height (7 metres) studio spaces; architecture: Haworth Tompkins Architects, photo: Philip Vile × Malcolm Fraser Architects performed a similar trick when they adapted three derelict mews buildings and a Victorian lawyers office in Edinburgh into light and spacious open-plan offices by adding a series of new metal roofs. These additions raise the height of the interior ceiling and provide improved light and ventilation. Similarly shaped apertures in the historic building and the new structure tie the two elements together.

Young Street Lane Offices by Malcolm Fraser Architects is located in a mews street in Edinburgh’s original New Town; photo: David Cemry Young Street Lane Offices by Malcolm Fraser Architects is located in a mews street in Edinburgh’s original New Town; photo: David Cemry × In some cases, the damage to an existing structure can be so severe that it is functionally redundant and beyond restoration. In this scenario, it may still be worth retaining some original features to help to provide consistency with nearby buildings. Fitting a newly constructed shell inside existing walls is one way of giving the space new purpose, whilst maintaining the legacy of its predecessor. In Denmark, Svendborg Architects have adapted an old stable into an artist’s studio by inserting a prismatic volume with an exaggerated pitched roof that directs light into the interior. The contrast between the black finish of the anodized aluminium addition and the white rendered walls of the stable evokes the aesthetic of the surrounding buildings with their traditional thatched and tiled roofs.

Svendborg Architects fitted an independent aluminium structure within the existing walls of this disused stable; photo: Ole Hein Svendborg Architects fitted an independent aluminium structure within the existing walls of this disused stable; photo: Ole Hein × The angled roofline and dark finish of the new structure ties in with the other buildings; architecture: Svendborg Architects, photo: Ole Hein The angled roofline and dark finish of the new structure ties in with the other buildings; architecture: Svendborg Architects, photo: Ole Hein × A derelict dovecote at the Snape Maltings music campus in Aldeburgh became a small studio and office space for students and staff thanks to the intervention of Haworth Tompkins Architects. The original building was little more than a collection of crumbling, windowless walls into which the architects lowered a prefabricated Cor-Ten steel monocoque. As few repairs as possible were carried out to the existing brickwork and weeds were left growing on the site to continue the natural process of deterioration and decay. The location offers excellent views over the surrounding marshes and by reusing this site the coherence of the original scheme of buildings that make up the former farm is retained.

The rusted hue of the Cor-Ten steel in Haworth Tompkins Architects's Dovecote Studio project is similar to that of the red brick farm buildings nearby; photo: Philip Vile The rusted hue of the Cor-Ten steel in Haworth Tompkins Architects's Dovecote Studio project is similar to that of the red brick farm buildings nearby; photo: Philip Vile × The steel structure was lowered into place by a crane; architecture: Haworth Tompkins Architects, photo: Philip Vile The steel structure was lowered into place by a crane; architecture: Haworth Tompkins Architects, photo: Philip Vile × Although it is not always the right option, adaptive reuse should be a consideration when looking to create a new space thats meet modern requirements. The potential cost savings and sustainable benefits, combined with visionary designs and the possibility to make use of land in prime locations, should make it an attractive proposition for developers.

The proposed redevelopment of Battersea Power Station will house an event space, offices and a conference centre as well as a green energy plant, making it Europe’s largest carbon-neutral building; architecture and image: Rafael Viñoly Architects The proposed redevelopment of Battersea Power Station will house an event space, offices and a conference centre as well as a green energy plant, making it Europe’s largest carbon-neutral building; architecture and image: Rafael Viñoly Architects × The iconic building will be brought back to life and 'will be generating power again, but in harmony with the site and the environment'; architecture and image: Rafael Viñoly Architects The iconic building will be brought back to life and 'will be generating power again, but in harmony with the site and the environment'; architecture and image: Rafael Viñoly Architects × There are still many buildings lying dormant, awaiting a transformation that will bring renewed vitality and purpose to the area in which they stand, and few redevelopments are more evocative or eagerly anticipated than that of Battersea Power Station in London.

Derelict for a quarter of a century, a masterplan for the regeneration of the power station and the surrounding area by Rafael Viñoly Architects has recently been approved and work should commence in 2012. The proposal could revitalise the area in the same way that Tate Modern did just along the river ten years ago and provide yet another example of the power of making something old new again.

Question: Which London building was adapted to become the Tate Modem which opened in 2000?
Answer: Bankside